WEEKEND WINDS: County dodges stormâ€™s destruction

November 18, 2013

Support cables for the traffic lights at U.S. 30 and Lincolnway were snapped Sunday afternoon after a storm passed through the area. Pictured, Columbia City Fireman Mike McGregor reaches up to cut the cable, which was hanging down into traffic, with the assistance of fellow fireman Jeff Ewing (left) and City Policeman Gary Parrett.Post & Mail photo / Nicole Ott

WHITLEY COUNTY â€” The same storm system that swept through Illinois, killing six and destroying hundreds of homes, passed through Whitley County Sunday afternoon with minor damage in comparison.

The National Weather Service predicted a 30 percent chance of tornados in Whitley County, along with much of Northeast Indiana.

Storm cells with rotation entered Whitley County, prompting tornado warnings in the northern and southern parts of the county, but fortunately for local residents, storm damage was minimal Sunday.

â€śThe storm seemed like it split around us a little,â€ť said Marc Gatton, Whitley County Sheriffâ€™s chief deputy. â€śWe fared pretty well. We didnâ€™t have anything like what Iâ€™ve seen on TV in Illinois.â€ť

There were several reports of power outages in the county, and crews worked well into the night to restore electricity to residents.

To read the rest of this story, see the Nov. 18 issue of The Post and Mail. Don't have a subscription? Call (260) 244-5153 or subscribe to our e-edition. For breaking news, sports updates and additional coverage, bookmark the homepage and find us on facebook and twitter.